Wednesday, March 26, 2003

 

He woke up and washed his face, and unto the day he walked. The skies were overcast and the grass was damp, so a rain must have drizzled its way through the neighborhood a little while ago. He hadn't any money, so to the ATM.

Aaah, he thinks as he pulls his card out. What a relief that he'd been working and can pull money from a machine. Pulling cash leisurely, as were his plans, was refreshing and new, for he was mostly hard pressed for funds. More recently, on the other hand, at the grocery store he pulled out his card to not only pay for groceries but to accept more cash back. What extravagance! And, I'm pleased to say, a pleasure. It was his pleasure to be unconcerned with lack of money. What a lightheartedness we live when food is on the table, when we can afford to buy music or books.

Wow, he thought. I walked in with nothing in my pockets and now I have fifty bucks and these great food items bought selectively from the deli to ensure I have a proper meal of pork and a tasty beverage to wash that shit down. This is great, he thought.

The ATM, just down the hill is on the way to work. He can get to the machine and to the coffee shop for a morning cup of joe before reaching the 8:15 train into the city. What luck, he has a job and enough money in his bank account for these luxuries that are so often left for the lovely, these dalliances of the lighthearted not meant for him most any other day. Spendthrifts can shop in the finest of stores and the middle class sip coffee in their homes, which he so wishes to do. Even to enjoy the rich excesses of the lush life, daydreaming on it as the ever approaching busy intersection that plays host to his money machine draws near.








The ATM, an island that juts out of the concrete like a monolith, begging people to c'mon and spend some of the money it's got. Its an oasis in the desert for a man who has no money in his account, even taunting those who have loads of cash stashed up.

"C'mon," it begs of you, "I've got even more money in here than anyone. I've got so much money that I can afford all of you. I can give you all money. C'mon." It's a C' Monolith.

With an outstretched arm, he touchedthe structure's side lovingly as he whisked around it to fetch some cash, to deposit some cheques. In with his card, he pushed some buttons, the machine beeps back to him in alien computer blips, but just as his cash is to be spat out, the machine does something terribly wrong. It doesnt give him back his card.

Oh No. he thinks.

"The card is stuck inside this machine and its not coming out!" He says to himself, as the machine blips back at him, happily accepting his deposit and that he should retrieve his card and receipt, thank you very much, have a happy day. but this isnt going to be a happy day.

blip get the card blip stuck in the blip blip blip blinkie blinkie its right thereblip goddammit blip with my keys I can blip blip blip if only I had a set of needle nose pliers blinkie blinkie blip blip I could tweak my way into the blip blinkie blip blip machine and yank it out blip blip I can blinkie see it blip blip right there!
beeeeeeeeeeep. blink blink blink.
"Thank you for banking with us" and the card was gone.

"fuck that." he says aloud. " give me my card you fucking piece of shit machine."
blink blink blink blink and a bus roared on filled with people in suits and ties with briefcases filled with papers that are very important to someone. someone who has a card just like his. but with probably more money in the bank.








With fifteen bucks in his pocket, he took the day off, went to the hardware store and found a gas mask on sale before heading downtown to the bank.

posted by Hog 9:30 AM